Cancer Anorexia Cachexia Syndrome John Mulder, MD Vice President of Medical Services Faith Hospice Director, HPM Fellowship Program Grand Rapids, MI

Cancer Anorexia Cachexia Syndrome

John Mulder, MDVice President of Medical Services

Faith HospiceDirector, HPM Fellowship Program

Grand Rapids, MI

Cancer Cachexia - DefinitionsCancer Cachexia - Definitions

• Derives from the Greek ‘kakos’ meaning bad & ‘hexis’ meaning condition

• A physical fading of wholeness

• Syndrome of decreased appetite, weight loss, metabolic alterations & inflammatory state

Cancer Cachexia - What it is?Cancer Cachexia - What it is?

• An extreme on the continuum of weight loss in cancer

• Seen in cancer, cardiac disease & chronic infection but not neurological disease

• Due to a systemic inflammatory response

• Mediated through cytokines & other factors such as proteolysis inducing factor (PIF) & lipid mobilising factor (LMF)

(Regnard, 2004)

Cancer Cachexia - FeaturesCancer Cachexia - Features

• Some or all of the following features are exhibited in varying degrees:

• Hypophagia / anorexia

• Early satiety

• Anemia

• Weight loss with depletion & alteration of body compartments

• Edema

• Asthenia (weakness) (Freeman & Donnelly, 2004)

Theories of Nutrition & Cachexia in CancerTheories of Nutrition & Cachexia in Cancer

It is NOT:

•Due to starvation

•Due to malnutrition

•Due to competition by the tumor

•Restricted to cancer

•Reversed by nutritional support

(Regnard, 2004)

Cancer Cachexia - PrevalenceCancer Cachexia - Prevalence

• Occurs in ~ 70% of patients during the terminal course of disease

• Weight loss > 10% pre illness weight occurs in up to 45% of hospitalised cancer patients

• Cancer of the Upper GI & lung have the highest prevalence of weight loss

• Lung cancer patients with 30% weight loss show 75% depletion of skeletal muscle

• Breast cancer, sarcomas & NHL show the least weight loss

(Payne-James et al., 2001)

Cancer Cachexia - EtiologyCancer Cachexia - Etiology

• Understanding is limited & based upon the knowledge of abnormalities in nutrition behaviour & metabolic patterns

• Appears as a classic case of malnutrition

• 3 theories have been suggested:

• Metabolic competition

• Malnutrition

• Alterations of metabolic pathways


Cancer Cachexia - Metabolic CompetitionCancer Cachexia - Metabolic Competition

• Neoplastic cells compete with host tissues for protein, functioning as a ‘nitrogen trap’

• In experiments where tumor is a high % of animal weight this theory holds, but in human tumors – even patients with a very small tumour can have severe cachexia

(Morrison, 1976)

Cancer Cachexia – MalnutritionCancer Cachexia – Malnutrition

• Upper aerodigestive disease is an obvious cause of malnutrition

• Regardless of tumor location, anorexia is the most common cause of hypophagia & usually consists of a loss of appetite &/or feelings of early satiety

• Hypophagia has been related to the presence of dysgeusia

• Diminished ability to perceive sweet flavors leads to anorexia


Cancer Cachexia – MalnutritionCancer Cachexia – Malnutrition

• Reduced threshold for bitter flavors linked to an aversion to meat

• Dysosmia is also related to an aversion to food

• Malnutrition leads to secondary changes in the GI tract which may be responsible for the feeling of fullness, delayed emptying, defective digestion & the poor absorption of nutrients

• However, malnutrition alone is not thought to be the main cause of cachexia


Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Cachexia – CHO MetabolismCachexia – CHO Metabolism

Metabolic Alteration Starvation Cancer Cachexia

Glucose tolerance

Insulin sensitivity

Glucose turnover

Serum glucose level

Serum insulin level

Hepatic gluconeogenesis

Serum lactate level

Cori cycle activity

Decreased

Decreased

Decreased

Decreased

Decreased

Increased

Unchanged

Unchanged

Decreased

Decreased

Increased

Unchanged

Unchanged

Increased

Increased

Increased

Adapted from Rivadeneira et al.,1998


Lipolysis

Lipoprotein lipase activity

Serum triglyceride level

Increased

Unchanged

Unchanged

Increased

Decreased

Increased

Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Cachexia – Fat MetabolismCachexia – Fat Metabolism

Adapted from Rivadeneira et al.,1998

Adapted from Rivadeneira et al., 1998

Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Metabolic Alterations in Starvation v Cancer Cachexia – Protein MetabolismCachexia – Protein Metabolism


Protein turnover

Skeletal muscle catabolism

Nitrogen balance

Urinary nitrogen excretion

Decreased

Decreased

Negative

Decreased

Increased

Increased

Negative

Unchanged

Cancer Cachexia - CytokinesCancer Cachexia - Cytokines

• Produced by host in response to tumor

• Cytokines regulate many of the nutritional & metabolic disturbances in the cancer patient leading to:

• Decreased appetite

• Increase in BMR

• Increased glucose uptake

• Increased mobilization of fat & protein stores

• Increased muscle protein release

(Tisdale, 2004)

Managing Cancer-related CachexiaManaging Cancer-related Cachexia

Ineffective Drugs – Cyproheptidine (Periactin)

– Metaclopramide (Reglan)

– Pentoxifyline (Trental)

Commonly Used Drugs– Progesagins – megestrol acetate (Megace), medroxyprogesterone

(Provera)

– Corticosteroids – prednisone, dexamethasone

Mantovani G et al, Drugs 201; 61, 49-514


Drugs with strong rationale that failed or did not show unequivocal results in trials– Omega-3-fatty acids (eicosapentoic acid)– Cannabinoids (including Marinol)– Bortezomid (Velcade)

Emerging drugs with some effective results still under trials– Thalidomide– Ghrelin– COX-2 inhibitors (Celebrex)– Insulin– BCAA (branched chain amino acids)– Oxandrolone (Oxandrin)



Future Trends– Melanocortin antagonist– b2 agonists (formoterol)– Anti-myostatin– Anti IL-6– SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators)























Role of Nutritional SupportRole of Nutritional Support


‘An improvement in survival due to nutritional interventions has not yet been shown’

(Arends et al., 2006)


‘ ‘Unintentional weight loss of Unintentional weight loss of ≥≥ 10% within 10% within the previous 6 months signifies substantial the previous 6 months signifies substantial nutritional deficit & is a good prognostic nutritional deficit & is a good prognostic indicator of outcome’ indicator of outcome’

(DeWys (DeWys et alet al., 1980)., 1980)

Cancer - Aims of Nutritional SupportCancer - Aims of Nutritional Support

• Improve the subjective quality of life (QoL)

• Enhance anti-tumor treatment effects

• Reduce the adverse effects of anti-tumor therapies

• Prevent & treat undernutrition


Cancer - Aims of Nutritional SupportCancer - Aims of Nutritional Support

‘…the principle aim of nutritional intervention with cancer patients will be to maintain physical strength & optimize nutritional status within the confines of the disease…’

(van Bokhorst de van der Schueren et al., 1999)

‘…nutritional intervention should be tailored to meet the needs of the patient & realistic for the patient to achieve…’

(Mick et al., 1991)

Aims of Nutritional Support

Optimum nutrition improves therapeutic modalities & the clinical course & outcome in cancer patients

(Rivadeneira et al., 1998)

Numerous studies strongly suggest substantial weight loss >10% leads to adverse consequences:– Reduced response to chemotherapy & radiotherapy– Increased morbidity– Poor quality of life (QoL)– Increased mortality rate

(Van Bokhorst de van der Scheren et al., 1997)

Can Nutritional Support improve Nutritional Can Nutritional Support improve Nutritional Status in Cancer?Status in Cancer?

• Yes, in patients whose weight loss is due to insufficient nutritional intake secondary to obstruction e.g. upper GI, head & neck

• In cachexic patients it is virtually impossible to achieve whole body protein anabolism

• Goals of NS are therefore different(Arends et al., 2006)

Does Nutrition Support Feed the Tumor?Does Nutrition Support Feed the Tumor?

• There is no reliable data to support the effect of nutrition on tumor growth

• ‘Feeding the tumor’ should have no influence on the decision to feed a cancer patient


John Mulder, MD

616-235-5100

[email protected]

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Cancer Anorexia Cachexia Syndrome John Mulder, MD Vice President of Medical Services Faith Hospice Director, HPM Fellowship Program Grand Rapids, MI